Part one: The early years of Electric Vehicles.

Hello, everyone who is reading this blog. Today I would like to introduce you to the first part of my presentation on electric vehicles, so I will start from the beginning... ;)

Beginnings

Electricity is one of the oldest methods of propulsion (not muscular: P) to vehicles used by people in worldwide.

The history of electric vehicles began in 1828. In this year, the Hungarian inventor Anyós Jedlik invented and launched the first prototype of an electric motor.

Between 1832 and 1839 (exact date not known), in Scotland, Robert Anderson of Scotland built a simple electric carriage. In the same period in 1835, was another small electric vehicle designed in Groningen in the Netherlands. This vehicle was built by his assistant Christopher Becker. In 1835, inventor Thomas Davenport (blacksmith by profession, better known as the inventor of the DC motor), from Vermont, built on a small scale first "electric car".

In the figure above is electric vehicle model by Ányos Jedlik - the inventor of an early type of electric motor (1828, Hungary). http://www.zuumcraft.com/vlev/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/jedliks_electric-car1.png

Over ten years later, in 1842. Thomas Davenport, along with the Scotsman Robert Davidson began to develop more practical and useful designs of electric vehicles.

Later (in 1865) the Frenchman Gaston Plante invented a way to better and more efficiently store electricity in batteries, which resulted in increasing their capacity. Just as in the past, low capacity battery affects the development of electric vehicles.

In the figure above is Thomas Davenport. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Thomas_Davenport.jpg/220px-Thomas_Davenport.jpg

1901 Baker Electric Car

France and Britain were the first countries around the world that, toward the end of 1800, as countries (!!!) supported the development of electric vehicles.

Performance of the first electric cars were not very bad. In 1899 a Belgian Camille Jénatzy achieve a world record land speed - 68 km / h in electric vehicle designed personally called "La Jamais Contente".

Picture of Camille Jenatzy and his wife riding the Jamais Contente vehicle. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBPiF1oBJIm8VYMjcQp9T22pS6q4kwX3cnIYT0MT3CqEvvapqvc-3N5wHBCny65A7H7ikDISdA5Smeyi1oHMjbN2XIun7N449sAMg_vtri8YLfOPu8V_7DnHiFjOxvhtQp8gE_9pNWA/s400/camille+jenatzy.jpg

After the success of Europeans, Americans in 1895, recognized the potential in electric vehicles. The first American "vehicle" which became a success was built by AL Ryker and William Morrison's six-passenger "vehicle". That car could achieve a maximum speed of 14 mph.

William Morrison's six-passenger wagon. http://bobmorris.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/william-morrison-ev.jpg?w=493&h=370

In 1897 the first electric vehicle was used for commercial applications - it was a taxi:) built by the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company of Philadelphia.

1909 Baker Electric

This figure present Thomas Edison and an electric car in 1913. http://www.treehugger.com/thomas-edison-electric-car-photo3453.jpg

Electric Car 1914 Detroit Electric

The turn of the century, in America and Europe was a period in which stabilized the popularity of different Power supply for vehicles, including steam-electric and gasoline.

Turn of the century was the culmination of America's electric cars, electric cars were on the market available in various types. A good example of the popularity of electric vehicles Phaeton was built by the Woods Motor Vehicle Company of Chicago in 1902. This vehicle achieved the speed of 14 mph and a range of 18 km.

Senator George P. Wetmore, Rhode Island, in a Krieger Electric Landaulet. Washington, D.C., Circa 1906. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZo8TXL0umR7TKP5fGn8xKfh-ZoRIMNhW1MY285Se36fEuseIpqY8D4EdMcj5S-LSqv0UzB3tUc1WxayXHygN3cvCjUsl2xY8WFti7JcFj-An03_MYVbdL8QzDwIl5Rh5cAalf5USWg/s600/Washington,+D.C.,+circa+1906.+Senator+George+P.+Wetmore,+Rhode+Island.JPG

Electric vehicles have many advantages over its competitors (diesel, steam) in early 1900. Electric vehicles do not have the vibration associated with the use of an internal combustion engine and the smell of gasoline and the accompanying noise driving.

http://files.technologist.geblogs.com/files/2011/04/1910_Waverley_Coupe.gif

The basic electric cars cost $ 1,000. Most of firsts electric vehicles was richly decorated and produced for the upper class. They had decorated the interior with expensive materials and the average purchase price was $ 3,000 in 1910.

http://edisontechcenter.org/ElectricCars/DetroitElecAd.jpg

Questions:

1. What do you think our world would look like if electric vehicles were introduced a century ago?

2. Are you surprised that a century ago someone built a successful electric vehicles?

3. Have you heard earlier about the beginnings of electric vehicles?

Źródła:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_electric_vehicle

http://inventors.about.com/od/estartinventions/a/History-Of-Electric-Vehicle s.htm

www.econogics.com/ev/evhistry.htm

www.evsroll.com/EV_History_&_Future.html

My sister keeper

Hi everyone!

Today I would like to tell you a few words about the book which I’ve just read – My Sister's Keeper – written by American writer Jodi Picoult.

http://www.jodipicoult.com/

Picoult’s official website

My sister keeper (or, when you translate the Polish title into English, Without my permission) is the story about Fitzgeralds family. At the beginning we find out that it isn’t an ordinary family. The younger sister – Ann – was conceived to become a bone marrow donor for her sister, Kate, who has a cancer. Ann was genetically planned. Both girls live as if they were seriously ill and spend most of time in hospital. Ann is really brave and endures all suffering and pain. But one day she decides to stop everything. She doesn’t want to live only for her sister any more. Her mother is desperate and angry for the younger daughter. She even doesn’t want to think what can happen if Ann rebels. The Mother doesn’t want to listen to Ann, she doesn’t have time for her son and devotes her full attention to the sick daughter. But Ann is determined, so she finds a way to solve her problem. She goes to the lawyer and asks for help. She wants to deprive her parents of their parental rights. And the hell is beginning. Her mother doesn’t agree and her father doesn’t know what to do so he works all the time. The son gets into a trouble. And Kate feels worse and worse.

And there are some questions: is Ann so bad and selfish girl? Or maybe every men, even a child, should have the right to decide about his body? And can others decide about us without our permission? These are questions that every reader should answer himself. But maybe there is something else, which causes that we can see Ann’s decision in another light? If you want to know what it is, you should read the novel. Really worth reading!

To confirm that this book is really worth reading and it is not only my opinion look at these websites:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Sisters-Keeper-Jodi-Picoult/dp/034083546X

http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/my_sisters_keeper/

Another prove that it is a fantastic book is that there is the screen adaptation of it from 2009. The book is from 2004 so the adaptation was made soon after the book appeared. The film was directed by Nick Cassavates. Actors playing main roles are Cameron Diaz, Alec Baldwin and Abigail Breslin. The film is a little different than the book but it is worth watching

The movie trailer.

Someone can say that it is only a book, what is more, this book is rather for women. But it also affects the problem of interference with human genes. It is a very controversial problem: what can we do with human genes and all body, and what we shouldn’t? What is ethical and what isn’t? It is a huge topic, so here we can focus on Fitzgeralds case:

1. Do you think it was a good decision to conceive a child only to help another child? Why?

2. Does Ann have the right to decide about herself and stop helping?

3. How far a human can go in interfering with the genes? For example, what do you think about cloning?

Highest Buildings - PART 1

Burj Dubai (828 meters)

Burj Dubai has been called the tallest in the world before the end of the construction. It surpassed such constructions as the Petronas Towers (452 meters), the Sears Towers (442 meters), and the Taipei 101 (509 meters).

Burj Dubai is the highest ever man made structure (the previous record belonged to the Radio mast in Konstantynów) thus it is in the four main categories recognized by “The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat” (CTBUH), which juxtaposes and categorizes the highes buildings.
The main categories recognized by CTBUH are:

1. Height to architectural top of the building, highest occupied floor , to tip of spire and the. top of the roof

Taipei 101 (509 meters)

The entire structure contains 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground. At 89 floor there is the internal observation room, the outdoor observation deck is located at 91 floor.

In 2004 its external observation deck was the second highest in the world, it was surpassed only by the Shanghai World Financial Center.

In 2004 the Taipei 101 owned 3 of the 4 titles of tallest buildings in the world:

1.building with the highest structural point,
2.to the of the roof
3.the highest occupied floor.

Petronas Towers (452 meters)

With about 88 4-meter above the ground floors and 4 underground floors, the Petronas Towers is the tallest building in category highest to architectural top of the building.

Both towers have 76 elevators, 29 two-level elevators and 10 escalators are to transport people. The two towers at a height of 41 and 42 floors, which is at an altitude of 170 meters are connected by an external bridge 58,5 meters long.

7000 people worked in the construction of towers. 160 000 m³ of concrete, 77 000 m³ stainless steel were use to build the towers.


Sears Tower (443 meters)

2400 people worked in the construction of Sears Tower.

Sears Tower is a 443 meter high skyscraper and contains 110 floors. It has two television aerials 84 meters high each.

76,000 tons of steel were used to construct the skyscraper, this is sufficient to produce 52 000 vehicles. Installed telephone cables are about 80 000 kilometers long.

Building has 104 lifts and 18 escalators. Sears Tower is covered in black colored aluminum and has more than 16 100 windows. 1.5 million tourists visit the Sears Tower every year. At a height of 103 floor there is a observation deck

Jin Mao Tower (421 meters)

The building was completed 28.8.1998 year – “lucky date” because eight is a lucky number for Chinese.

It is the tallest building in China and fifth of the largest in the world.

It was constructed to be resistant to strong winds in Shanghai, reaching up to 200 kilometers per hour.

Jin Mao Building has 88 floors. The tower is a parking lot for 993 places, offices occupy floors from 3 to 50. From 51 floor to the top a five-star Grand Hyatt Hotel has 555 rooms.



Shun Hing Square (384 meters)

Shun Hing is a complex containing a 69 floors where only offices are located and 35 floor residential building. The most popular building in Shenzhen has 69 floors and 34 elevators.

Shun Hing is the tallest building made of steel in China, the tallest building in the great metropolis of Hong Kong, the 10th of the tallest buildings in the world.

In 1997 Shun Hing Square was the tallest building in China and Asia.

Questions to discuss:

1.Do you know any more tall buildings around the Word?
2.Find some more buildings where Spiderman climb on.
3.Do you like Big buldings?
4.If you have a choice, you would live in those big buildings or some small one?


source:
http://www.pudelekbiznesu.eu/2010/01/burj-dubai-najwyzszy-budynek-swiata/
http://timberlux.pl/najwyzsze-budynki-swiata-taipei-101/
http://lucrecia.webpark.pl/petronas_towers.html
http://www.pinger.pl/szukaj/po_tagu/p/5/?t=Chicago
http://openbuildings.com/buildings/jin-mao-building-profile-6650

World Trade Center memories

Hello everyone!

This presentation will be about World Trade Center memories.

Everyone knows what happened on 11^th September, 2001 in the U.S. On that day terrorist from al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger air planes and crashed two of them into the WTC Towers. Both towers fell into ruins. Hijackers from al-Qaeda crashed the third air plane into Pentagon and the fourth plane into a field near Shanksville Pennsylvania. The passengers and the flight crew from the last plane wanted to take control of the plane which terrorists wanted to crash into the Capitol or White House. Everything was happening in the morning of NY time, when most of people were at work and in Poland it was early afternoon hours. Most people in Poland came backed from work or school, turned on TV and …. froze – as it was with me. I came back from school, turned on the TV and froze. It was incredible and I was convinced that it was some American movie or something like that. But I changed the TV channel and everywhere was the same picture. I realized that this nightmare was really happening. I was standing and couldn't believe what I was seeing, when the second plane hit into the next tower. Because it was very terrifying, I remember the whole day and all the situation very well – definitely the same as you.

This phenomenon, concected to good situation's memory, is known in psychology as a contextual memory or source memory. It means that we remember when and where we heard about some important situation or incident.

Thanks to this, we can describe in detail this situation -when we heard or saw something scary or dangerous. So it was with the president’s Tupolew crash and terrorist attack on the WTC towers.

Therefore I ask you to describe a situation when the first time you heard about this terrorist attack. Where were you, what did you do and how do you remember that day?

On this movie you can see scientists simulation of jet colliding with the World Trade Center.

Do you know that the Americans want to rebuild WTC complex? Construction works began in 2006 and they planned to end works in 2016. The largest building in the new WTC complex will be Freedom Tower. This tower will measure 1776 feet (541,32 meters) – quite a lot:). 1776 feet symbolizes the date when U.S. Declaration of Independence was issued and replace twin towers.

In the new WTC complex there will be also three smaller towers and Memorial Museum with souvenirs of 11^th September. This whole complex will cost more than 20 billion dollars.

In this picture you can see the WTC 7 tower which was completed in 2008. This tower is the most environmentally friendly office building in the world.

Q:

1. Answer the questions from presentation

2. What do you think about this 2 WTC projects?

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion_and_memory#Contextual_effects_of_emotion_on_memory

Do You smoke?

Do You remember the moments you waited for a bus or train and had to inhale tobacco smoke? Did you react or were you just too afraid to say anything? Well, someone has done it for you. Since 15th November 2010, smoking in public fields has been banned. Smoking is now not allowed at bus stops, in railway stations or in bars and restaurants. Should we be happy about the fact that the government cares about our health or should we be alarmed that those in power are interfering in our private lives and want to control us?



According to the WHO (World Health Organization), five million people this year will die due to diseases caused by smoking. What is even more shocking is the fact that over 150000 of this number will be children who never smoked. By 2030 this number will probably reach eight million. If the problem were connected with drugs the majority of the population would say, “something has to be done to stop this”. But when it comes to cigarettes the number of those who are against drops suddenly. Isn’t it true that smoking is bad for our bodies? Isn’t it true that the vast number of those who suffer from heart attacks, strokes, cancers, and lung ailments were or still are smokers? So why are people so attached to something that kills them? Each cigarette contains numerous chemicals, among which are nineteen carcinogens, such as polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, acrolein, and nitrosamines. Those components of tobacco smoke can cause cancer and have a major influence on the development of other diseases.



To focus people’s attention on this problem, in 1987 the WHO established No Tobacco Day, which is celebrated annually on 31st May. This worldwide carnpaign aims at focusing attention on the consequences of smoking, especially second-hand smoking. Through all the years where No Tobacco Day has been celebrated, many different aspects of cigarette addiction have been mentioned. Each year the WHO encourages governments and public organizations to organize gatherings, lectures, and other forms of education to stop the growing number of nicotine addicts. Those forms of education have recently been directed towards teenagers, Sadly, more and more young people aged between 13-15 have contact with cigarettes. In Poland, one in five teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15 smoke. In case of teenage smokers, smoking is not yet an addiction but a habit. Peer pressure, as well as TV commercials in many countries, are the main reasons why young people start to smoke. That is why the WHO is trying so hard to in¬crease young people's awareness of the dangers of smoking and present a non-smoking lifestyle as 'cool'. Unfortunately, not everyone is in favour of the anti-tobacco carnpaigns conducted by the WHO around the world.



Since 15th November 2010 smoking has been banned in all public spaces in Poland and breaking this law re¬sults in a penalty. Public spaces include work places, spaces designated for public use, bus stops, railway stations, shops, pubs, and restaurants. Many people assert that personal freedom, as guaranteed by the Polish constitution, has been infringed by the ban. They believe that as long as they do not harm other people and aren’t committing a crime they should be free to do whatever they want with their lives. The loudest voices of protest are heard when it comes to pubs. Many people cannot imagine visiting a pub or bar without a cigarette. But what about that part of the population that don’t smoke, but who cannot go anywhere without having to put up with the constant presence of smoke, smoke that makes everything smell and is also dangerous for their health, even if they only passively inhale it?
Passive smoking is considered one of the main causes of asthma in young children whose parents are smokers. It is also considered a factor which can cause cancer in cases where a person is exposed to it for a long period of time. The smoking habit is especially dangerous for unborn children.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Do you smoke? Maybe your inmate smokes? Is it problem for you?
What do you think about smoking in public spaces?
How to stop smoking? Any new ideas?

Hello everyone again,
in this presentation I would like to talk with you about Osama bin Laden’s death – he was killed on 1st May 2011 in his home in Abbottabad. Osama bin Laden(full name – Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden) was the founder of al-Qaeda- the terrorist organization which is responsible for the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in U.S.
“Justice has been done” these words U.S. President announced the world that Osama bin Laden is dead.

Watch this movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnin3buU0fI
(I have problem with adding this video)

All, Americans and the rest of the world were waiting for this for almost ten years. When it finally happened, Americans went out into the streets and celebrated. Osama's death cheered them up. They acted like it was something really happy, and of course it was in some way. But on the other hand, it caused some controversies, because, all in all, it was the human's death. Some people think that the enjoyment of the death is out of place. There were also some voices that Osama was defenseless and it wasn't necessary.Watch this movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnin3buU0fI

(I have problem with adding this video)

How the Americans celebrated the Osama's death

There is one more strange (and funny in some way) fact that the Americans have found their own hymn for those days. It was the... Miley Cyrus song: “Party in the U.S.A”. People put it to their Facebook and Twitter walls. There are a lot of comments connected with Osama's death on YouTube, under the videoclip. Some people also sang this song during the demonstration near the White House. Isn't it a little bit silly?
Watch the Cyrus' song:

1. Answer the questions from the text

2. What do you think about Osamas killing? Whether it was the right decision?

3. What do you think about that how the Amercians celebrated Osama's death?

Technology in field of Healthcare

World’s first antibiotic, Penicillin had been synthesized and acclaimed as a model medical miracle. X-ray’s are still used to visualize most of medical examinations helping to diagnose many diseases.
“Medical world” has accomplished so much, but still can surprise us.
I’m deeply convinced doctors will achieve much more. In my opinion people have just begun to realize the power of technologies that combine devices with medicines or Information Technologies, opening new possibilities.
Technology of healthcare is really fascinating field for me. That’s why I have decided to show you several news of “medical world”.

Virtual Anatomical Model

It is a new teaching tool for medical students and young doctors, who use virtual reality and “flexible display” technology. A projector can process images in 3D graphics of internal organs and display them on the humans’ model.
This technology is useful by medical students trying to get skills necessary in surgery during operations. From their perspective 3D technology makes it appear as if there is transparent human body inside mannequin. Students can see simulations of anatomy from many different angles just rotating the mannequin in different positions.
Computer graphics processes and recreates the function of internal organs. This 3D images can be bound with medical explanations. This material helps medical students to understand many difficult issues of the human body.

“In anatomy, it is important to have a grasp of spatial relationships. It’s difficult to know the distances between each organ or how deep they are placed underneath the skin. This kind of knowledge cannot be acquired by listening to a lecture or by studying diagrams. Medical students can easily ascertain these things by getting hands-on experience using an anatomical model and more importantly their memory retrieving capability is strengthened by using this system. ”
Ryugo Kijima, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering Gifu University Virtual System Laboratory.

Virtual nurse

This is just a computer program embedded into dedicated hardware.
It can look like a person, it can use all the same words to talk to patients before they leave the hospital. Of course, it will never be like a real nurse, it can’t care for patients, can’t give them medications, even hold their hand.
But it can teach them a lot of stuff. It can explain things in a very slow and nice and easy way. A Virtual nurse uses voice, so it can talk to patients.

Photo by Glenn Kulbako.

Remote Controlable Pacemakers

Before you read about next amazing device, short repetition.



You should know that the heart disease is the highest cause of death. It causes 25% of the deaths in the world. So, 12 million people die each year because of heart attack.

I’m sure you’ve seen at least one episode of “Dr. House”. Haven't you? :)
There are often situations such as you can see below.



Let's discuss the following situation:
You’re middle-aged, you don’t smoke, you cultivate a healthy lifestyle and in spite of everything one day your doctor tells you about your high risk of heart disease..?!
Yes, it’s possible.
Sometime later, while shopping in the city center you fall, you have a heart attack. Someone calls the doctor, the ambulance arrives in just 10 minutes. The medical staff tries hard to save your life but, unfortunately it’s about 6-7 minutes too late… Your brain is dead.
If your doctor had an opportunity to propose you a “PACEMAKER” after detecting the high risk of heart disease, in this discussed situation you would probably stand up and continue shopping with only a little noise in your head.

Implanted cardiodefibrilator gives 20-30J electric impulses and works the same way as the one from the movie (by the way, in some cases devices shown in the movie are dangerous for patients and the doctors because of very strong, 300-350J electric impulse ).
Implantable pacemakers and defibrillators are devices that apply the electric shocks to maintain the rhythm of the heart and, if necessary, “restart” it.
As the technology improves and a list of treatable conditions grows, a number of devices is being implanted is increasing steadily, and now exceeds half a million/year. Read more...

When responsible for creating an electrical pulse a part of heart’s muscle fails to function correctly, an artificial “peacemaker” can be featured to help regulate the heart-bit with small, evenly timed electric shocks. This involves an electrode implanted into heart and implanted a device called “The Generator” just under the skin.
Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a similar device, which is also capable to stop heart and deliver an electric shock powerful enough to restart it.

Medtronic CareLink monitor is designed to automatically send implanted heart’s device information to patient’s clinic from the convenience of home. The device uses a fixed analog phone line. CareLink can automatically communicate heart device. In case of irregularities personal doctor (patient’s guardian) is immediately informed via email, sms etc.
There are also available recorded events (details of measurements and EKG from inside of patient's heart).
Devices like this above give users an incredible peace of mind, a sense of security. But above all, significantly extend their life sometimes for many years.

Unfortunately, an electronic device can sometimes fail or perform an irregular activity. Let’s see what can happen…



_____________________________________________________________
Would you like to maximize your life using devices such as macemakers?
Some people don’t want to interfere with human nature and live as long as it’s possible without putting any devices inside their body.

What do you think about the ever-growing middle-aged man's death? Do you think overcrowding is caused by medicine achievements?

Have you ever called an ambulance? How long did you have to wait for its arrival?

Strange behaviors: part03

Strange addictions

I would like to present you some of the strangest strange behaviors. Celebrities's OCD is like a joke compared to this guys:

• Glass eater
  
  
  Brrrr, yack... it's pain to watch. How the hell this is even possible?

• Couch cushion craving
  
  
  Another weirdo.

• Bodybuilding
  
  
  I only regret that they didn't show her before transformation in a bodybuilder.

• Eating cigarette ashes
  
  
  My teeth hurts when I watch this. Also I really want to throw up when she is eating those ashes.

• Eating household cleaners
  
  
  Sad story. I feel sorry for her.

• Chulk eater
  
  
  At least she looks healthy.

• Eating toilet paper
  
  
  
  

• Compulsive scab picking
  
  
  
  

How to treat OCD?

• 
  

I think that this two clips summarize how can you treat OCD and other mental disorders. Meditation probably isn't gonna work (at least fast). If you have similar condition – seek professional help.

Questions:

1. After watching clips about strange food habits do you want to taste any of them? If so tell us about it! :)

2. What “foods” or behaviors especially sicken you?

3. Do you think that this show (“My Strange addiction”) uses this sick people to attract viewers? Is it moral despite the fact that they (producers of the show) provide them with free psychological help? (We have to take to the account that the health care in USA is expensive and there's no public free health care like in Poland).

4. Did you have any strange “hobby” (similar to presented) when you were a child? If so share it with us! :)

Strange behaviors: part02

One of the most popular mental disorders is OCD. Acronym stands for obsessive-compulsive disorder. This disorder often has some funny results (of course not for family members but for random people who run across individuals with this disorder). The Wikipedia characterizes OCD as: “anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions”. This disorder has very different variations and forms. OCD is the fourth most common mental disorder, and is diagnosed nearly as often as asthma and diabetes. In USA one in 50 adults suffers from this disease (~232mln*1/50=~4,6mln). But why oh why am I writing about OCD? Because many celebrities and famous people have/had it! And they even admit to it. So, here we go:

• Cameron Diaz
  
  Obsession: Doorknobs
  Not only does she open doors with her elbows to avoid germ-infested knobs but also she is scrubbing them with anything she has close at hand (even her clothes).

• Jessica Alba
  Obsession: Perfectionism
  She always wants to do things proficiently and to the best of her ability. She also says that this compulsive obsession helped her carrier and that probably every major actor has it.

• David Beckham
  Obsession: Symmetry, pairs
  He sorts his shirts according to their color and it is obsessive about placement of things in his house. His wife, Posh, says many funny things about her husband's disorder: “If you open our fridge, it's all coordinated down either side. We've got three fridges – food in one, salad in another and drinks in the third. In the drinks one, everything is symmetrical. If there's three cans of Diet Coke, he'd throw one away rather than having three – because it has to be an even number”. OMG. Pure madness.

• Alec Baldwin
  Obsession: Cleaning
  He says: “I come home and I'm like: 'Did somebody move that book?' I just notice everything.” He also rinses his glasses even that he has a housekeeper to do that.
  
  

• Leonardo Dicaprio
  Obsession: Cracks in the pavement
  While researching for the role in “The Aviator” which is about eccentric billionaire who suffered from OCD, Dicaprio revisited his childhood obsession with avoiding cracks in the pavement.
  

• Woody Allen
  Obsession: Food and death
  He constantly thinks about death and “don't want to be there when it happens.” When he was filming “What's new pussycat?”, he ate soup for 6 months – maybe he tried to lose weight or something.

• Katy Perry
  Obsession: Freaks out over tiny problems
  Katy Perry told Q Magazine: “(...) my worst one (OCD) is if I see a pair of sunglasses with fingerprints on them. Truly, I cannot stand it. I go ape. ‘Oh my God, I can’t breathe! Wipe them clean! Agghhh!’”. Gush, another celeb without any real problems. ;)

• Megan Fox
  Obsession: Public toilets, Restaurant's silverware
  She describes her obsessions: “This is a sickness, I have an illness, this is not OK anymore,” Megan Fox told Allure magazine. “I’m never doing that again [using toilets without seat covers]. Every time someone uses a bathroom and they flush, all the bacteria are shot into the air”. And about the silverware: “Putting my mouth where a million other mouths have been, just knowing all the bacteria that you carry in your mouth? Ucch.” OMG. I've this ones! :D Luckily I just eat at fast foods so they give me plastic cutlery.

• Justin Timberlake
  Obsession: Mix
  His OCD is little similar to the Beckham's ones. He's crazy about symmetry and makes sure that everything is lined up perfectly. Another thing is that his fridge has to stocked with certain kinds of foods or he would go ape.

• Jenifer Aniston
  Obsession: Cleanliness
  If she can't avoid making hand contact with other people she uses hand sanitizers after the “contact”, despite the weird looks on other people faces. She also has special bathroom in her house that is reserved for guests only. In public she constantly wipes grocery carts, hand rails, elevator buttons, door knobs, and anything else that other people touch. So now we know why Brat Pitt divorced her. ;)

• Howie Mandel
  Obessions: Many ;>
  Let the videos speak for themselves:
  

Of course there are other celebs like for example Penelope Cruz but they (celebs) probably have too weird strange behaviors to share it with rest of the world.

Another thing is that famous polish movie “Dzień Świra” has examples of OCD.

(watch from ~3:30)

Sources:

• http://www.opposingviews.com/i/celebs-with-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-katy-perry-and-megan-fox

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive%E2%80%93compulsive_disorder

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsive_behavior

• http://ocdtodayuk.org/everyday_life/woody_allen.html

• http://www.opposingviews.com/i/celebs-with-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-katy-perry-and-megan-fox

• http://snarkerati.com/celebrity-gossip/jennifer-aniston-is-ocd-about-cleanliness-never-uses-her-guest-bathroom/

• http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100601184911AAHvpdC

  Questions:

• Did you find in my presentation anything similar to your behaviors? If so please share it with us. :)

• Do you believe that OCD really exists and it is not just some whims?

• Do you believe celebrities in their disorders or you just think that they want to make some free publicity?

• Do you think that this disorder disturbs in an everyday life ?

• Have you ever noticed such behaviors? For example in public, maybe at home, at your later family home.

"Pomodoro Technique"

I think most of us struggle with disorganization. There are often situations that we are trying for a long time to find some important documents or even today’s to-do list. Sometimes we think about “blue almonds”. Because of these difficulties with concentration we can lost view hours throughout the day. Imagine how much time you are losing each month, year!
I‘ll tell you something: it’s time to start using some kind of „time management tool”, otherwise you’ll lose the rat race!


My own art 1

I’ll try to introduce you the “Pomodoro technique” which helped me to organize time, focus better and get more tasks done just in time.
The Pomodoro technique gets its name from kitchen timers, which are often shaped like tomatoes. Francesco Cirillo, who is the inventor of this technique, used it as timer to keep track of his time as he focused on his university studies.

The deal is, that you break your time down into „pomodori” and do your job trying to focus the best you can : you set the time of 25 minutes and after the twenty five minutes you get a 5 minutes break. That’s called „one pomodoro”. The idea is to do 4 pomodoros one by one, than you can take a 30 minutes break. Each pomodoro can be dedicated to the same task as before(if you didn’t complete it during the previous pomodoro) or a new one.


My own art 2

To start using the Pomodoro Technique, you need the following:

1. A Pomodoro, a kitchen timer or some kind of software (you can download here).

2. “To-Do TaskList”, consist of jobs that you would like to have done. The top of page should contain: localization, date, your name. You can find ready-made here.

3. Inventory which is something like empty list, where you can put new activities which comes up during the day. Here You can check off finished jobs too. There is also nice template, simply click here.

In the begining of each day you need to choose and put into “todo-tasklist” jobs you would like to have done. You will find them in the inventory.
When you are ready to start work, set the timer for twenty five minutes and just perform activities from “to-do list”.

Important things:
- It’s always good to see, how much time is left.

- The “One Pomodoro” is atomic unit, so it can’t be split up. There is no something like “a pice of pomodoro”. If someone or something interrupt your “activity”, unfortunately you have to avoid current cicle and start the next one from the beginning.

If you hear rings sound, it means your current “Pomodoro” is finished. Put “X” near the task you are currently working on.


My own art 3
Now you have up to five minutes break. You should disconnect from your work. It means that you must not keep working, even for several minutes! It’s very important according to your mind assimilating what has been learned during last 25 minutes.
The good idea is to stand up, maybe do some stretching exercises or get something to drink.
If your break is over, set the timer to adequate time (of course 25min.) and follow your job until the next ring-sound. Then put next “X” character near the current task on the “todo” form.
If you have successfully finished four “Pomodoro’s”, you should get longer break (but max. 30 min.). You can use it for checking in-box, calling someone…



Interruptions
The most important problem while using “The pomodoro technique” is dealing with interruptions. There are two kinds of them:
- internal: you need to find something in “google” this moment, you feel the need to make call, not suffering from delay
- external: that moments, when another person want you to do something, someone asks for your help etc…
Try to control these internal impulses, suppress them to prevent the interruption of the activity cicle. Remember, it's about your performance.
Generally, the method of dealing with interruptions is always the same:
Try to “invert the dependency on interruptions, and make the interruptions depend on you.”
“If a colleague or study partner comes over, you can politely say you’re busy and suggest not to disturb (Some people use the humorous expression “I’m in the middle of a Pomodoro.”) Then tell the person that you’d rather call them back in 25 minutes, or in a few hours, or tomorrow, depending on how urgent and important the matter is.”
“The Pomodoro Technique”, Francesco Cirillo, October 2006.

There are many more details, you should now about the “Pomodoro technique”, but I hope you understood the main point.

You can discover more by visiting pomodorotechnique homepage.

Thank you for reading this article. I hope it will be useful for you.



I look forward comments, I will be glad if you answer the following questions:

Have you ever heard about the “Pomodoro Technique”? Have you tried this?

Do you think it can be effective? in which areas would you use it?

If you know a better way to organize your time, present the idea.